It is indeed manifest that the United States, and other countries using the English system are now converting to the metric system either as a sole measuring system or a dual measuring system for physical processes. There are impending requirements in the United States that all products be metrically labeled, and this will dictate additional need for some computer aids to help in the conversion process.
It must be noted that the metric system is a uniform system of measurement throughout the world for measuring linear distances, weights, and other miscellaneous physical values. All units of surface, volume, and weight are all directly derived from the basic meter. In the metric system all units have a uniform scale of mutual interrelation based on the decimal unit, and thus, the scale of multiples and sub-divisions of the metric system is ten. Thus, for example, the decimal scale relative to linear measure is based as follows:
Ten millimeters=one centimeter; PA1 Ten centimeters=one decimeter; PA1 Ten decimeters=one meter; PA1 Ten meters=one decimeter; Ten decameters=one hectometer; PA1 Ten hectometers=one kilometer; PA1 Ten kilometers=one myriameter;
Measure of weight and volume are similarly scaled upwardly, on this basic decimal system.
One of the problems in handling metric data is that the conversion process can be most cumbersome and as a result, much time is utilized in the process. Consequently, the use of metric measurement modes is often shunned and in the final analysis; a significant number of people will refuse to use metric measurements. In order to overcome this problem, a limited number of calculators or computers have been advanced for the purpose of facilitating metric usage. None of these existing computers are fully capable of adequately performing all metric conversion processes, with means adapted for ready visual identification of the comparative values between metric and English.
There is thus a need for a calculator which can readily convert metric units into English and in reciprocal fashion from metric to English, with simultaneous visual identification means between metric and English values for visual comparison purposes. This type of computer will enable a user to handle all measurable physical parameters in metric and English conversion modes.
Moreover, there is a need for a calculator which is capable of having the conversion factors for conversions from metric to English and vice versa integrally connected into the converter system so that the user need not resort to external sources to ascertain this conversion factor and place same in the computer. Additionally, there is a need in the prior art for a computer which can function to exclusively compute metric conversions in any given medium, and which has a readily available control mechanism to select a given metric mode for conversion purposes. This invention is directed to such ends as an improvement in the computer calculator art for metric conversion processes.